Nintendo 3DS

[The NZA]

EA's Ryan Stradling, on Nintendo's page:

 

Playing games is about playing games with my friends, and I want to know what my other friends are playing online. And that's going to give me the ability, and it's also going to let me know that - sports scores, because I'm interested in sports, exchanging achievements with other players. Because when you look at DS penetration rates, there are going to be a lot of friends to talk to and communicate with.

 

am i reading this right? friends lists + achievements?

no wonder there's no major consoles in the next few years; nintendo's handheld is looking to own them.

[gunsmithx]

It's also being reported that it will support game installs so you dont' have to carry around all those games... my god all I need it to do is give me head and I'll never put it down...

[C_U_SPACECOWBOY]

am i reading this right? friends lists + achievements?

no wonder there's no major consoles in the next few years; nintendo's handheld is looking to own them.

 

When I saw there was a 'home' button on the 3ds, I was secretly hoping it would have a dashboard and some achievement/trophy analog!

 

Oh man, it that's true....Nick, our struggle enters the 3rd dimension!!

[Jables]

I hope by achievements they don't mean crap like Avatar rewards and whatnot. That all sounds pretty goddamned awesome though.

[Mr. Sexy Hat]

Sega making a 3D Sonic game for a Nintendo Console, tell me that 12 years ago.....

 

Man I feel so sick and angry, im going to take out my fanboy rage out on a cute fluffy puppy.

[Jables]

I'll prolly midnight launch this shit.

[The NZA]

Resident Evil: Revelations trailer

 

HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE

 

ps is that Hunk?!

 

[The NZA]

Amazon says MGS3 for 3DS = $35...if that's the standard price ($35-40, not counting square games heh) that's not bad.

[The NZA]

alright, so post-E3 i guess its my turn after gun to get all hyped for this system, relative specs are finally showing up, where's what it looks like:

 

 

 

barebones demo:

 

 

15 million polygon count, anti aliasing (when 3D isnt enabled, i believe?) and other figures, as little as i understand here, basically means Nintendo went with a powerhouse of a handheld that should have solid battery life as well, glad they made that a priority.

 

chip info has current price estimates @ $180 at launch, which isn't bad either. anyway, a DS stronger than a PSP, even at this point in time, sounds crazy.

[Newtype]

Amazon says MGS3 for 3DS = $35...if that's the standard price ($35-40, not counting square games heh) that's not bad.

 

And to think all we have to do is wait 10 more years for the games to come out.

[The NZA]

you complain about the weirdest things sometimes

 

looks like much of the info is still speculative, but educated guesses thus far. anyway, shit looks pretty and will hopefully be under $200. here's a hands-on video of MGS3 from E3!

 

 

also, this would make the greatest pack-in evar.

 

First Look: 3DS Classic Collection

 

by Aaron Kaluszka, IT Managing Editor - June 17, 2010 - 8:12 A.M.

Source: Nintendo

 

Here's a neat collection of games that was being shown on 3DS demo units at E3.

 

One of the 3DS demos being shown on the E3 show floor is 3DS Classic Collection, a compilation of classic games that can be selected at will. The games shown were:

 

Kirby's Adventure

 

Castlevania

 

Tennis

 

Metroid

 

Mario Bros.

 

The Legend of Zelda

 

Super Mario Bros.

 

The Mysterious Castle Muramase

 

Punch-Out!!

 

Excitebike

 

NES Open Tournament Golf

 

Twinbee (RainbowBell)

 

Super Mario World

 

Smash Ping Pong

 

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

 

Kid Icarus

 

Urban Champion

 

Castlevania

 

Mega Man 2

 

Kirby's Adventure

 

We have no idea if this is set for release or not, but have a look. We apologize for the dodgy camera work.

 

[The NZA]

 

this thing's launch is gonna be legendary. recent RE shots look to confirm the graphics we saw at E3 might not be bullshots.

[The NZA]

prolly a bullshit rumor, but just in case...

 

The computers for Gamestop have added the Nintendo 3DS in the system now, along with 18 games and 14 accessories listed as available for taking pre-orders on September 29th. They also have a listed a shipping date of November 22nd. (Since postal services are out on weekends, the Nov 20/2010 Sat is the most logical release date, as the orders would be delivered on Monday the 22nd).

 

right around black friday...that'd fuck the Kinect right up. still more likely to see it next spring, i think.

 

*edit: confirmed bullshit. stoopid bish, i would've loved to see gun frothing at the mouth over this.

[Newtype]

The Nintendo 3DS will launch in Japan on February 26, 2011 for ¥25,000 (US$298). The portable will launch in North America and Europe in March 2011. Nintendo did not provide pricing.

[Jables]

Hopefully AU won't have to wait too much longer after that. I mean, if we get RB3 I'll start to believe in anything again.

[The NZA]

yeah, i guess i'd expect it around $300, be great to see at $250...price is high for a handheld, but it's a serious effort. ill go with gun & others at launch to put my dick on it try it out.

[gunsmithx]

Ironically not a first day purchase. I think 250 is high for a handheld and the only launch title I'm interested in is zelda.

[The NZA]

this is some well-shown restraint. someone's thinkin' bout the wedding.

 

i too am gonna hold off, but the lineup's looking crazy: now featuring Megaman Legends 3, and a virtual console possibly containing GBA/GB titles is pretty cool too.

 

launch colors are sexy this time, too.

 

[Jables]

I've never been to a console midnight launch which is probably the reason I'll be there(also since this'll probably be the last console I can afford new)

[The NZA]

Nintendo Inv. Q&A: Design philosophy for 3DS, GC and N64

 

The article is old by GaF standards, but I searched and found nothing. If this article was indeed discussed here, this very interesting bit was probably buried under all the Sales-Age stuff.

 

Q 8-1: Let me ask you about development costs. My first question is for Mr. Takeda. For this time (for Nintendo 3DS), the company is using the Japan-made PICA200 chip. I'm personally excited because it's the first time since the company used Japanese IC chips from Ricoh for Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System). Today, I understand that "programmable shaders" are commonly used for the architecture of game platforms. Why has the company decided to use the chip with "fixed shaders"? Could you please give me the background? Also, when you chose 1T-SRAM, I was personally wondering how were you able to find out about such chips?

 

Another question for Mr. Miyamoto is, how do you, as a person responsible for the company's software development, see the software development advantage of using this fixed-shader chip?

 

My final question is for Mr. Iwata as a developer. When I read the "Iwata Asks" on "Sin & Punishment," you often said that the developers must be tactful enough in order to make the expected program to run. I thought you were referring to programmable shaders then. I'd like to receive your comments as someone who has actual development experience. Also, IC chips today are consuming a lot of power, so it is difficult to incorporate them in home console video game machines. As a company manager, is it possible for you to decide that you will continue using such chips with fixed shaders?

 

Iwata:

 

Because the questions this time are rather technical, I think I will need to supplement for the majority of you today as to what "fixed shaders" and "programmable shaders" are.

Each 3D computer graphics hardware system includes a circuit called a "shader." So, what does this shader do? In short, it is circuitry to shade the pictures. When a 3D object receives light, the part which receives the light becomes brighter and the other side without the light becomes darker and, partially with that effect, we human beings can recognize its 3D nature. Ever since approximately 15 years ago, when computer graphics were available for the first time in video games, significant progress has been made in how to realize that kind of visual effect even though, at the very beginning, what it could offer was rather primitive. In the last decade, "programmable shaders" have started to spread in the developers' community. With programmable shaders, software developers can send to the hardware the programs to dictate which shading should be realized. On the other hand, Nintendo has adopted for Nintendo 3DS a different approach from the programmable shaders that are commonly used today. More specifically, even though there are various shading methods available with programmable shaders, because there are certain sets of typical combinations the developers are using, we have made it (the hardware) so that we can offer the Nintendo 3DS developers this method or various alternatives from the start. I understand that the person with this question called this technology "fixed shaders." So, the question was, why we have decided to choose such an approach, what the advantage is and what the disadvantage is. I'd like to ask Mr. Takeda to answer this first.

 

Genyo Takeda (Senior Managing Director of Nintendo and General Manager of Integrated Research & Development Division):

 

As for the reason we chose fixed shaders this time, I was not directly involved in that particular process, but my understanding is that the company has chosen the most appropriate methods for the appropriate areas, so it is not a case of one method being generally better or worse than another.

In designing a handheld game device, power consumption is one of the biggest factors to consider. Naturally, the designers have to make efforts to lower the power consumption. The advantage of handheld devices is that they do not require such high-end resolution like that of home TV sets. The users are going to look at the lower resolution screens at closer distances from their eyes. When the company considers this and other factors comprehensively, just as Iwata mentioned just before, the question is whether we should make it perfectly flexible or would it be better for us to focus upon the methods which are expected to be used most often. When we conduct a comprehensive review, we also need to take into consideration such factors as software development costs and many other things. My understanding is that the company has concluded, after reviewing everything comprehensively, that fixed shaders are the most appropriate choice for this handheld device.

 

Miyamoto:

 

I believe Mr. Takeda's explanation has already summed up almost everything. From the software developers' point of view, we need stable performance to be yielded from the hardware. A long time ago, when we were making software for Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System), the hardware took care of almost everything automatically, so we were able to anticipate very stable performance. Of course, there were always other limitations, though. Based upon such experiences as well, rather than following suit with what other companies are doing in general, we thought that Nintendo could go its own way. Such a philosophical aspect was also there when we made this selection, but the primary reason was the anticipated stable performance.

Iwata:

 

I was personally involved in that specific decision making process. After receiving the proposal, I personally thought that it was the right choice because it had the right balance between power consumption and graphical capability. I don't know if this method will be the best choice forever, but as of now, I have concluded that it's a very well-balanced method. You just referred to one of the "Iwata Asks" articles. When the developers said that they had hard times in order to get the expected performance, it actually has something to do with what Mr. Miyamoto said right now, namely, he prefers to have a machine which can yield stable performance. This is something both Mr. Miyamoto and I had a challenging time with as software developers, so maybe this is not a pleasing subject for Mr. Takeda, but we did experience a lot of hardships when working on Nintendo 64. When we were working on Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System) and Super Famicom (Super NES), basically, whatever was promised in the hardware spec sheets could actually be done. However, since Nintendo 64, the concept of hardware has drastically changed to, "the software developers can do anything as they like, but the total amount of the work the hardware can execute is limited." In other words, we were told, "you are free to choose the allotments of the total performance." We, the software developers, are always greedy when it comes to the game ideas we want to realize. We tend to make every possible effort, here, there and everywhere. And then, after we have incorporated everything, we find that the software does not work. When just one designer, be it Mr. Miyamoto, me or someone else, did some extra effort in order to make slightly better graphics, the total frame rate greatly decreased. Such things happened, and we had a hard time dealing with them. The biggest trouble with Nintendo 64 was, when something unexpected happened, we could not tell why it had happened. At one time, the system was working just fine, but at some other time, the anticipated performance could not be generated. When we happened to be able to make it right, it was very quick, say, something like a tuned-up sports car, which could not show its maximum performance otherwise. That lesson we learned from Nintendo 64 was taken into consideration when we designed Nintendo GameCube, and the learning through the development of this hardware was there when we designed Wii. The developers have been able to take advantage of the performance of Wii for such a long period of time since it was launched, and this fact must have something to do with how Mr. Takeda and the other hardware developers have made the most of the experiences and expertise they have learned from Nintendo 64, and Nintendo, as an organization, has recognized the importance of a machine for which software developers can always expect stable performance from the hardware.

So, please understand this as a sort of background for what you read in "Iwata Asks" about the hardship the software developers experienced on Nintendo 64. As for your question on the choice between programmable shaders and fixed shaders, almost everything fixed shaders can do can also be done by programmable shaders. On the contrary, fixed shaders cannot do all the things which programmable shaders can do. Please consider it this way: among the myriads of possible things that programmable shaders can do, fixed shaders have chosen the functions that are expected to be used most often, and the hardware will offer these functions. Fixed shaders have certain limits in their graphical representation capability, but if you ask me, "will they be too restrictive?", I should say that all the functions anticipated to actually be used are there, so I can't find any inferiority. Many of you have already seen with your own eyes the graphics on Nintendo 3DS into which the developers have poured a lot of their energy, but I don't think you have ever been dissatisfied with the visual quality. With that and other factors, such as taking the most appropriate balance between the power consumption and the entire performance, we have chosen this method for this time. Thank you for your understanding.

 

Q 8-2: So, was the hardship the developers had to experience for Nintendo 64 only regarding the tuning process? If possible, I still want to have your comments on how you found out about an IC chip like this.

 

Takeda:

 

We do not have any particular know-how to find such IC chips. However, increasingly, we have the opportunity to be able to communicate with a number of people inside and outside of Japan. Recently, there are increasing opportunities to talk with European people as well. Nintendo itself is not such a company (which designs and produces IC chips), so we have the advantage that we are able to openly discuss anything with anyone. In the case of larger entities, some part of its operations often have business conflicts with some IC chip companies, but in the case of Nintendo, due partially to its uniqueness, no IC chip companies see us as a competitor. So, we are leveraging upon such a unique position we have and we are always able to discuss relevant deals with anyone in the world. This is the general answer I can make.

 

Iwata:

 

Maybe, what Mr. Takeda told you right now is one of the unknown strengths of Nintendo. For example, those who originally designed acceleration sensors probably did not imagine in the beginning that Wii Remote, with its acceleration sensor, would spread all around the world in such a massive volume and that other devices are now adopting the same technology. Acceleration sensors were not originally designed for remote controllers. So, from the view points of designers and makers of such technologies, Nintendo can be seen as a company which has the potential to make use of their technologies and the resulted products may generate huge global demand, which may even further expand the use of their technologies if Nintendo does it right. I sometimes discuss this with Mr. Takeda, but Nintendo can be regarded as a unique company because many others expect something unexpected from us all the time and, as a result, many other companies are approaching us with a variety of proposals. The ability to be a good judge plays a very important role here.

Sometime ago in the Operational Briefing, I discussed the importance of being able to anticipate the number of units each software title can sell. For the hardware, the ability to be able to tell whether or not certain technology has the potential to support the needs of the company becomes important. The last time when we thought we made the right selection was probably when we adopted 1T-SRAM. When a technology has not been proven in the marketplace yet, we need to review and conclude if it will work for us in the future. As we actually adopt such technologies, more and more companies become willing to offer their latest technologies to us by thinking, "Now that we have invented this new technology, there is a possibility that Nintendo would be able to make use of it for use in the mass market and, thereby, greatly expand the demand for our technology." As we can create such a stream, one of the very important jobs for us developers today must be to be a good judge.

 

focusing on stability is good, on battery life it's gotta be imperative for a device like this.

on the other hand - and this is kinda unavoidable - 3DS to Triple DS Development Costs. i guess that's good for sorting out crapware, but one of the reasons the DS got so much love/games was its low dev cost....still, this has to be well, well under the HD home consoles cost.

[The NZA]

Nintendo conference ongoing:

 

 

launches 3/27 (US). who's buying so i can play phoenix wright vs layton!?

 

the good-ish news: Nintendo dropped in-game friend codes; you just have the one per that system now, and apparently, you can add people over local multiplayer. also, you can see what your friends are doing from the OS, like a proper buddy list...not quiet as good as the account-based systems sony/ms/pc/err'body else have, but its a step in the right direction at least.

 

ps goddamn half of GAF thinks PSP2 cant clock in at less than $300...wow, this gen. anyway, games look like $40, and Zelda: Ocarina of Time looks fairly smooth at (hopefully?) 60 FPS, livestream if you're reading this like right now.

[gunsmithx]

the other half of gaf thinks the psp2 will be 400 dollars.... sigh

 

I'm still kinda underwhelmed by the 3ds, the launch games look ok, nothing really blowing me away. I also think everyone is acting like a battered wife over the friends code thing. the update is better but still pretty shit overall. like I used to get brusies over my arms and faces but now that I get hit in the stomach and can hide it it's ok....

 

That said at least the price was better then I thought, I was thinking about 280 but they got fucked hard in the EU and AUS, the prices over there are insane.

 

Frankly at this time I'm gonna wait for the lite version you know is coming by the end of 2012 unless something comes out that blows me away, plus I have Trails of the Sky to keep me happy till then (need to make a post on that one.)

[The NZA]

you really do, i keep forgetting about that game. did AU get a price? EU leaving it up to the retailers...hahaha that's crazy.

 

Kid Icarus, SSFIV, not sure if any of these are gonna be launch. your analogy is interesting, too...its only slightly less shitty an online system, and there's dancing in the streets. at least the idea of downloading GBA games still feels possible, since it can be added later the way systems like the neo-geo were added to virtual console.

yeah, im not sold just yet either but that's the good thing about waiting: nintendo was slow to drop the wii's price, we'll see about this one but its not so much the DS lite version i want as the XXL, heh. at the least, i can hold out til Paper Mario is out!

[Jables]

http://www.ebgames.com.au/ds-152911-Nintendo-3DS-Black-Nintendo-DS

[The NZA]